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During the 2025 playoff run, KFC leaned into Kyle Connor\u2019s \u201cKFC\u201d nickname, running a Stanley Cup playoff promotion that encouraged fans to wear buckets on their heads during the Winnipeg Jets series against the St. Louis Blues. The new Kyle F#*@in\u2019 Connor meal promotion is currently on.<\/p>\n
Decked out in a white suit and a Kentucky bow tie that Colonel Sanders made famous, the video shows Connor arriving at the rink in a snazzy white sports car and entering the building before nodding at several staff members who are enjoying fried chicken.<\/p>\n
Connor is shown briefly on the ice in his No. 81 jersey with KFC on the nameplate.<\/p>\n
Near the end, a Colonel Sanders look-a-like compliments Connor on his suit, noting it has \u201cfinger lickin\u2019 good\u201d written all over it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey wanted to get something out and build off the bucket (hats promotion) last year,\u201d said Connor, referring to the Stanley Cup playoff promotion that encouraged fans to wear buckets on their heads at a home game. \u201cThey said they had a great reception. Fans really took to it. It was such a fun and easy experience for me. It\u2019s so lighthearted.\u201d<\/p>\n
Connor isn\u2019t someone who necessarily craves the spotlight, but found the experience to be enjoyable.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not carrying anything crazy for 30 seconds,\u201d said Connor. \u201cThere weren\u2019t many words. It was pretty simple for me. They had a whole production crew and director and everything. It was pretty much show up and do what you\u2019re told.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Kyle F#*@in\u2019 Connor meal features a chicken sandwich, two wings, fries and a drink, all in a custom-designed box.<\/p>\n
Might the response to the advertisement encourage Connor to bust out the white suit and bow tie for one of the games remaining this season?<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, I might have to,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Jets centre Jonathan Toews, who was called upon as a spokesperson at various points of his NHL career, is impressed by what he saw from Connor.<\/p>\n
\u201cPretty good. Apparently, he had a couple of lines and those got cut, so I don\u2019t know what that says,\u201d said Toews, who took a good-natured shot at his teammate before praising him.<\/p>\n
\u201cOther than that, it\u2019s pretty cool. Obviously, he\u2019s very deserving of the success he\u2019s had in his career. Those are fun things to do off the ice and he deserves that recognition.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Wrigley experience<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Nam Y. Huh \/ THE ASSOCIATED PRESS<\/p>\n Former Winnipeg Jet and Chicago Blackhawk Troy Murray (right) greets then Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews (left) back in 2018. Toews said Tuesday the late Murray meant a lot to him over his career.<\/p>\n Although he\u2019s done it before, Toews was happy to have another opportunity to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at Wrigley Field on Sunday before the Chicago Cubs faced the Washington Nationals on the opening weekend of Major League Baseball action.<\/p>\n \u201cThere have been a couple of times over the years. Not one of the worst ones, I don\u2019t think,\u201d said Toews, who was joined at the game by his Jets\u2019 teammates.<\/p>\n \u201cThe last day we had one as a team was back in early November. Since then, it\u2019s been all hockey. So, it\u2019s nice to take your mind off hockey for one day and go out and just enjoy some time as a team. Obviously, the Cubs were really great in getting us to the game, so we were able to enjoy Chicago for a day. It was a beautiful day, too, so it was great.\u201d<\/p>\n Salute to Murray<\/p>\n \n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n \t\t\tThe Warm-Up<\/p>\n Winnipeg Jets Game Days<\/p>\n On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.<\/p>\n \t\t\tSign up for The Warm-Up<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t Toews was asked about the passing of former Blackhawks and Jets centre Troy Murray as part of his availability on Tuesday following the morning skate.<\/p>\n Murray, who played 15 NHL seasons, worked as an analyst for Blackhawks games during Toews\u2019 tenure with the Original Six franchise and the two formed a bond, given their respective paths.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know how much he went through and how hard he fought and happy on some level he\u2019s found peace with all the suffering he\u2019s been through,\u201d said Toews. \u201cTroy was someone I looked up to. Obviously, I didn\u2019t grow up watching a ton of his games when I was a kid but just getting to know him and who he was as a person, as a player throughout his career, he\u2019s the kind of guy who makes it special to play for the Hawks and for the Jets.<\/p>\n \u201cHe wore No. 19, played at North Dakota, played for the Jets as well. It\u2019s just cool in a lot of ways to follow in his footsteps and honour him. He meant a lot to me over my career.\u201d<\/p>\n winnipegfreepress.com\/kenwiebe<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t Ken Wiebe Ken Wiebe is a sports reporter for the Free Press, with an emphasis on the Winnipeg Jets. He has covered hockey and provided analysis in this market since 2000 for the Winnipeg Sun, The Athletic, Sportsnet.ca and TSN. Ken was a summer intern at the Free Press in 1999 and returned to the Free Press in a full-time capacity in September of 2023. Read more about Ken<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Ken produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber<\/a>.<\/p>\n Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.<\/p>\n \t\t
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